Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: It has been a long time for this story. Life has gotten the best of me. The story still runs through my head. I just have a hard time sitting down to write it. So, I am back with the next chapter. I wrote this story initially because I wanted to explore the scenario where Bella was the one who needed to be forgiven. It would still contain the undertones of the original charcters, which I borrow. Especially those of Edward trying to stay away from Bella, just for different reasons. It is also en expolration for me, in that I am writing the story entirely from Edward's perspective. I have never done that before. I usually find more depth to my characters when I can fill in the story from different POV. However, even though I find it hard to explore other charcters to the degree that i would like, I am sticking to the original plan of writing it from Edward's POV. Thank you to everyone for your patience. I really appreciate it. And to everyone who has reviewed and encouraged me.

Chapter 14

I coughed and tried to sit up. The pain increased.

"I'm calling the doctor," my mom stood to reach for the phone.

My coughing subsided. I took several deep breaths. I must be in bad shape. Looking around the room, I realized that I was in the ICU. My bed continued to shift underneath me. Moving seemed to take all the energy I could muster.

"The doctor will be here soon to check you out. Tomorrow, you will have another cat scan to see if the clot is still in you lungs. The blood thinners should take care of it. You gave us all a good scare."

So I was in bad shape. Didn't look like I was going to get much done besides think and try to heal.

"So," my mom interrupted my thinking. "Are you going to answer my question."

"Well in order to answer it, I would have to have the answer. And it would seem I don't know what that would be."

"You are trying to tell me that you have no idea why that woman stayed by your bedside?" The look on her face told me that she wasn't buying it.

"Well it was her car that I avoided when I went over the cliff," my answer was shaky at best. But I had hoped that my mom would be distracted enough by my condition that she would let the subject drop.

"Well Edward," no such luck. "Even if I was so naïve that I would believe you. Which I'm not by the way. I recognize a woman in love when I see one."

"What?" I scoffed. "I haven't even known her a week. How the hell could she be in love?" I lowered my head. I knew better than to speak to my mother like that.

"There is no accounting for why we fall in love, especially with men who speak with such disregard." My mother was smiling at me as she fluffed my pillow and smoothed my blankets.

Then the doctor came in to check on me. Can't say I enjoyed the inspection. But it did end the conversation about Bella. I didn't want to think about her let alone talk about her.

The doctor seemed hopeful that I would make a full recovery. However, I was going to need some physical therapy. My leg would be in a cast for 8 weeks. I felt relief that there was not any long term consequences to my reckless driving. And especially thankful that Bella had not been hurt by it.

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"Edward?" I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Huh," I opened my eyes once again to find Rosalie seated by my side. "I must have fallen asleep."

"Yeah, recovery can really take it out of you.," her eyes were bright. The corners of her mouth were turned up in smile. At the moment I did not feel any pain.

"I don't hurt?"

"The doctor gave you some pretty potent pain meds. He wants you to concentrate on your recovery, not you pain."

"I'm surprised you came back," I moved to sit up. It felt more comfortable this time. I noticed that Rosalie had a smug look on her face. "Fuck, Rosalie, get out!" I was on no mood for this.

"Edward, you have friends use them." Rose sat up straight. I am not going anywhere. Though I wish I didn't have to be here." Rose scrunched up her face like she was smelling something bad.

Rose was not being her typical self with me. She never missed an opportunity to razz me. Now, I was wide open. She could have a hay day with no comebacks. And yet she kept her mouth shut.

"I'm waiting for you to tell me what a stupid moron I am," I glanced at her quickly and then looked at my own feet.

"It's no fun when you are an easy target. I will save my remarks until you can match me wit for wit." Rose smiled.

Rose was a true friend, she hated this place. Not that she had ever been, mind you. It was more the idea of it. How she had managed to avoid hospitals for this long was beyond me.

Rose stayed close to my side. Making sure to touch nothing. I studied her. It was obvious that she was having a hard time being here. It was then that I noticed that she had taken a napkin and placed it on the seat before she sat. I couldn't make up my mind whether she was serious or was just trying to make me laugh. I chuckled as I watched her scoot around in her the seat on her napkin. She then unfolded my napkin then placed her hands folded inside the perimeter on my bed table.

Rose had snuck me in my favorite food. She handed me a bag from Jack in the Box. Inside was mozzarella sticks, chicken strips and fries. I quickly tore into the bag. I hadn't realized how hungry I was. I dove a stick into the marinara sauce. Rose just watched me.

"Rose, are we just going to sit in silence while I eat? Or did you have something you wanted to say?" I waved the stick around in her direction while speaking, then plunged it into my mouth.

"Ok Edward, I happened to be the one here when you woke up. But we all know Alice would be better at this."

"Rose, tell me what you think. I am an idiot for letting that user get to me like this," we had moved beyond common courtesies in our friendship. I was chewing on a chicken strip as I spoke.

"I really don't know what happened. I got a call that you needed a friend, so here I am. Do I think you are an idiot for starting to fall in love? No, Edward. Why are you so upset?"

I told her about meeting Bella on Friday. Filled her in on what she didn't know about the bar. Gave her very milky details about Saturday. Then, I told her every minute detail I could think of from Monday morning. The meeting with Jake, the information bomb from my dad, and the little ladder climbing conversation in my office. Rose was looking more and more agitated as I told her the story, and I hadn't even mentioned Bella's meeting with Jake in his office.

"Well, what a fucking slut," Rosalie picked up one of my fries and chewed on it a bit.

"Here, dunk it in this. That will make it even better." I moved my ketchup toward her. I had never seen her eat fries before. Then her words dawned on me. I didn't like to hear her talk about Bella that way. It was more than that really. I wanted to defend Bella.

While, smothering the fries in ketchup and then eating it in nibbles she answered, "Now I see why you eat junk food. So now you are stuck with this little back stabber as your partner?" She changed subjects as if the two were interrelated.

Ouch. It really was not helping to hear Rose talk about her like that. "Well, I can't really…. Ahh never mind." I was really hoping that Bella was being honest when we spoke earlier. I wanted her to be with me. Despite everything I knew about her. There was something about her that I felt drawn to. Some reason that I felt compelled to forgive.

"Listen Edward, I can understand her starting out wanting to climb the ladder through you. But now she knows you. Maybe she is developing feelings for you, despite her ulterior motives. It sure seems like it from the way she stayed by your side. And Jake has been pissed."

"You've seen him?"

"Yes, he has come and gone. Every time he sees Bella, he tries to get her to leave." Rose had eaten nearly all of the fries.

"I would love to have a little chat with him," I took a long sip of water through my straw.

"Forget about it," her look was stern. "You need to recover, not get into a battle of wills."

Rosalie started to clean up the evidence that we had any junk food. She then left the room leaving me alone. I flipped through the channels on the television. Maybe if I had taken more time to watch it before this, it would have interested me. But now, it was just annoying to me. If I was at home, I don't think I would have spent this much time consumed with Bella. But this circumstance left me to wonder what was going on with her. I checked the clock about every ten minutes.

It had only been about an hour since Rose left when the nurse brought in my lunch. I was not hungry, even though Rose had eaten most of what she brought. But I decided I had to eat something. I grabbed the chocolate pudding. The nurse smiled, asking if I needed anything else. Since I didn't she was gone as quickly as she had come. I knew I was supposed to be getting rest. But I was not the type of man who just sat around. This situation was driving me slowly mad.

"Damn it," I cursed under my breath.

"What's wrong?" I looked up to see Bella standing in the doorway. At that moment I knew exactly why she was winning me over, despite my misgivings. She was like no woman I had ever met before. She had this tough, quick witted exterior that she showed the world. She made me laugh with her retorts, keeping me on my toes. I sat there staring at her. The way she dressed to come see me in the hospital. She wore a red floral dress, that hugged her every curve. The dressed ended mid-calf but my gaze followed the line of her leg to her gold Mary Jane heels. She knew what she was doing to me. The look on her face told me that she was enjoying it.

"I'm bored," I placed my pudding on the tray and pushed it away from the bedside. I pat the bed next to me. "What did you bring to entertain me?"

"Oh no you don't," she scolded me. "You are supposed to be recovering."

I didn't believe a word she said. It was pretty hard to trust her after what she put me through. Also as she was objecting to my advances, she was seating herself within my reach. I didn't say anything to her. I simply ran my fingers along the neckline of her dress.

"I see you are feeling…" her words were cut off as I pulled her in, covering her mouth with mine. Instantly I felt a rush pulse through me. She had an effect on me that I couldn't explain. At that particular moment, I didn't want to think about it. I just wanted to feel. The consequences for my actions didn't matter. Just feeling her pressed to me. I pulled on her hand to turn her body to me. She acquiesced through her whispered protests. I whispered assurances back to her.

Her eyes met mine, "Is this really happening?" Her forehead was pressed to mine, as her fingers traced patterns on my hands.

"I know I should fight it Bella, but I just can't do it anymore. I don't have the strength to stay away from you."

She lightly laid her head on my shoulder, "Then don't"

We laid there, with her curled up beside me. All the anxiety that I had felt earlier was gone. With her beside me, I felt a sense of peace. I drifted off to sleep. I knew we had things to deal with, but at that moment I just wanted to enjoy holding her. For now, I was just going to get the rest the doctor had ordered.